


Value of Exchange

by Corycides



Category: Revolution (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-29
Updated: 2013-01-29
Packaged: 2017-11-27 08:58:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/660150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corycides/pseuds/Corycides
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes Charlie still didn't understand how it happened, couldn't track the Möbius strip of fate and alliance and betrayal that lead from there to here, then to now. They'd been friends, near-family, and now they were enemies. No going back...?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Value of Exchange

Sometimes Charlie still didn't understand how it happened, couldn't track the Möbius strip of fate and alliance and betrayal that lead from there to here, then to now. She could list them, pin the facts of their betrayal – her worse betrayal - down to the board, but understanding the effect was different. One day Nora was her friend/pseudo-sister/one stupid uncle admitting how he felt away from an aunt, and the next she was an enemy on the other side of the chessboard.

'I think this treaty is a bad idea,' Nora said flatly, ignoring her more placatory Georgian co-diplomat's whisper of 'discretion'. She shrugged his arm off and glared, eyes snapping. 'Matheson or Monroe, the Republic can't be trusted.'

Monroe hooded his eyes and sat back, all cool edges and containment while Nora wore her cause on her sleeve. They'd never have been friends, Charlie mused. 

'Is that Georgia's official stance?' he asked, steepling his fingers.

'No,' the other diplomat blurted, leaning forwards. 'It isn't, General Monroe. Ms Clayton is a valued advisor, but does not speak for Georgia. Though we will weigh her experience.'

It bickered on, inferences and implications, until even Monroe lost his temper. He pulled it back at the last second, leashing it down, but ended the meeting for the day. The idea of the treaty was still brittle, it couldn't survive asking for a new diplomat.

Charlie left him to cool his anger in whisky and dismissed the young recruit responsible for Nora. 'I'll show Ms Clayton to her suite,' she said.

Nora grimaced, but didn't argue. 'How is Miles?' she asked.

Hard question to answer, that. Bitter and angry sometimes, mostly with himself; in his element.

'He's Miles,' Charlie shrugged eventually. 'Do you want to see him?'

'Then no,' she said. 'I don't want to see him caged here, not after everything he did to escape,'

Charlie bit back a snort of laughter. 'He's not a dog, Nora. We allied with Monroe, we didn't bend the knee. And Miles always loved him.'

'Even when he hated him,' Nora agreed. She reached out and touched the side of Charlie's hand, fingers warm. 'I can sympathise. I miss you, Charlie. Still. After everything.'

It was the warmth that drew Charlie's mouth down. Monroe ran cold or napalm hot, never a gentle heat. The curve of Nora's lips was soft, her breath sweet with herbs instead of whisky. Her hand grabbed Charlie's sleeve, twisting like she was angry but pulling her closer. A square, capable hand slid into the dip of Charlie's waist, fitting neatly around the curve of her hip, and Nora guided them stumbling into her suite.

'Charlie,' she breathed, cupping the younger woman's tanned face. 'I knew you were still here, no matter what they said-'

'They say I'm Monroe's,' Charlie said, unpicking Nora's hair from its knot. Dark curls framed her fierce, high-cheekboned face. 'It's not a lie.'

Nora shook her head and pulled Charlie in for another kiss, mouth fiercer now. She plucked tentatively at the smooth, dark fastenings of her jacket, while Charlie's surer fingers stripped Nora's uniform quickly. There were new scars on her tawny skin, pink and still stinging with antiseptic when Charlie kissed them.

Georgia was reputed to have stockpiles of medical supplies, maybe there was truth to that. Tucking the thought away for later Charlie ducked her head to trail her lips down the slope of Nora's breast. The dark nipple puckered tight under Charlie's lips and eager tongue and Nora moaned, her body arching towards Charlie and hands finally pushing the militia jacket open to stroke pale skin.

Her hands were gentle, gentling, like she thought Charlie was breakable. A lingering, sympathetic touch on a bite mark and Charlie realised why. She laughed and tumbled Nora onto the bed, exploring the hard planes and soft curves of the other woman. 'I make my own choices, Nora.'

Nora twisted her hand in Charlie's braid and pulled her down. 'I know,' she said, the 'you think so' mute on her tongue.

They wriggled on the bed, sun-warmed silk and sturdy linen scraping, as they found how their bodies fit. Hands touched and explored, searching out the easy and hidden sweet spots on their skin. Her scars under Charlie's tongue made Nora go flushed and taut, her nipples were pebbles under the attentions of Charlie's sword and bow roughened fingers.

Nora licked and nibbled the lobe of Charlie's ear and worked those clever, capable fingers into Charlie. She pressed and tweaked with the same steady confidence she brewed her explosives, her fingers slick-wet and thrusting. Charlie clung, curling around Nora, as she gasped and squeezed tight with warm, bittersweet ecstasy. 

'Beautiful,' Nora said, twisting her head to kiss the side of Charlie's twisting mouth. 'You're so beautiful, Charlie. You could do anything.'

Charlie gave a rattling bark of laughter. 'What? Marry a farmer? Raise fat sturdy children who'll never know what a TV was?'

'Would that really be so bad?' Nora asked wistfully, fingers faltering. 'To just be happy?'

'Happiness is for simple minds,' Charlie said, before remembering it was one of Monroe's maxims. She finished it anyhow. 'They can't see beyond the moment, to the bandit about to take their world.'

She ground herself down into Nora's touch, chewing her lip as she came in a boneless warm rush that drained her from fingertips to toes. Boneless with satiation, she sprawled over Nora, mouthing wet, affectionate kisses over her chest.

'How happy would those fat children be once the Plains burnt the farm down?' she asked, working her way down to Nora's belly button. Her tongue dipped into the thumb-dent of flesh, tasting the musk and shadows. Her knees slid off the bed and she knelt, tugging Nora down the bed until her legs dangled over Charlie's shoulders. 'Or Wasteland raiders took them to scrape their fingers raw in the desert?'

Her thumbs hooked in the waistband of Nora's pants and she pulled them down over her hips, revealing dark curls dewed with arousal. Whatever Nora was going to argue died in a shuddering groan as Charlie pressed an open mouthed kiss to sensitive flesh. Her tongue flicked in and out of Nora's pussy, teasing, prying strokes that made Nora gasp and arch her hips up against Charlie's wet, hungry mouth, her thighs wire-tight and trembling.

Again, tongue tracing the shape of her body and ending at her clit, breath warm and tickly against th sensitised flesh. Nora bit her arm as she came, stifling the throaty noise that burst out of her. She flung her arm over her face afterwards, skin shining with sweat and breasts heaving as she caught her breath.

'I'd kill him for you,' she said.

Charlie stood up and leant over the bed, propping her hands on either side of Nora's finely-carved shoulders. Her braid, frayed but still knotted, fell over her shoulder to tickle Nora's freckled clevage. Nora laughed and reached up, brushing wet, sex-smelling fingers over Charlie's lips.

'I'd kill you for him,' she said. 'Leave the explosives in your room. I can smell the cordite.' She licked her lips again, catching the bitterness under her own juice. 'I can taste it.'

Nora blanched and guilt tweaked Charlie's heart. She kissed the fear away and stood up, still dressed enough to be quick putting herself back together. 

'Just let it go, Nora. You'll just get killed,' Charlie said gently. 'Monroe isn't some work-camp lecher.'

Nora sat up, breasts full and heavy against her ribs. 'You can't stop me, Charlie. All you can do is kill me.'

'We've already stopped you,' Charlie said, smoothing her hair. 'We know where your sister is, do you? It was lovely house though, on the beach. Did you ever visit?'

Muscles flexed along Nora's jaw, down her throat. Doubt warred with fear in her ears. 'You wouldn't let them do that.'

'It was my idea,' Charlie said. 'She'll be fine, as long as you don't forget you're a diplomat and not an assassin.'

They were on opposite sides of the chessboard now, no matter what they used to be – or could have been.


End file.
